Harry Potter: the Boy Who Stayed
by Mikaylaco
Summary: CHAPTER 9 UP! This is about how Harry gets left at the Dursleys, but they're nice to him. In fact, most other things are switched around, too! Read and review!
1. Harry: the Boy Who Lived

General Disclaimer: (I'm not repeating this again, so read carefully!) I own nothing of JK Rowling or of her works or characters, as much as I'd like to, but I DO own the OOC Dursleys! *grin*  
  
~*~Chapter 1~*~  
  
It was a lovely summer afternoon in Little Whinging. People outside were working on their gardens, or just lying around and enjoying the sun. Everything was peaceful, and Vernon Dursley, a beefy yet kind looking man, was inside his house and hurrying to eat breakfast and get to work. He kissed his wife Petunia goodbye, and hugged his young son, Dudley. With a smile he started off to work, at Grunnings, a drill-making company.  
  
Several hours later, Mr. Dursley immerged from the building, looking exhausted and rubbing his eyes. Walking home, he saw a tabby cat with markings around its eyes, and smiled. "Hello, pussy," he said gently, and rubbed the cat's ears, as it purred under his fingers.  
  
Vernon walked into his home. Everything was quiet, except for the faint crying of Dudley and Petunia soothing him. "'Tunia!" he called. "I'm home!"  
  
Petunia came out of the bedroom with Dudley. "I've been trying to get him to sleep but I haven't succeeded!" she exclaimed. "I don't know what to do!"  
  
Vernon took his son, and carried him to his crib, and then patted his back until he fell asleep. In several hours, Vernon and Petunia joined him.  
  
~*~Chapter 2~*~  
  
Outside, the tabby cat stretched itself, as a kind and gentle man with a long white beard came up to the house. "Why, Professor McGonagall!" The man exclaimed. "What a surprise to see you here!" In the place of the cat there suddenly stood a woman, with a tight bun in the back of her head and severe glasses that matched the markings on the cat's eyes.  
  
"You look happy, Minerva," added the man.  
  
"Yes, Albus," Minerva McGonagall answered. "I AM happy. I admit that I had doubts about leaving Harry here, but now that I've seen his relatives-- well, they're very nice people. I'm sure that you made the right choice in deciding to leave him here.... For that matter, where IS Harry??"  
  
Albus pulled a silver watch from his pocket and looked at it. "Hagrid is bringing him. He's running a little late, but he should be here soon."  
  
Minerva looked grave. "Albus? Are you sure that you can trust someone so important with Hagrid?"  
  
"Minerva." Albus said seriously. "I would trust Hagrid with my life."  
  
Just then, a loud roar filled the air, and a giant motorcycle- FLYING- appeared from the sky, and landed next to Dumbledore.  
  
But the motorcycle's size was nothing compared to the man that rode it. Almost six feet tall, and much wider than according to his height, a man with a huge, bushy, beard, carrying a bundle, got off the motorcycle.  
  
"I trust everything went according to plan, Hagrid?" Albus's calm voice had a strain of anxiety in it.  
  
"O', yes, not'n'g t'worry 'bout!" Hagrid's voice was gruff, but there was a gentle note in it. "I s'pose ye'll just take 'Arry, now?" His voice almost had a teary note in it.  
  
Albus patted Hagrid reassuringly. "Oh, Hagrid!" He said. "Don't worry! Harry will be just fine where he is, and you'll only have to wait a few years before you can see him again! Really! These are the nicest muggles possible, and they'll treat him like family, and before you know it, you'll see him again. So.. say goodbye for now."  
  
Hagrid let out a long anguished wail.  
  
"Shh—" whispered McGonagall. The muggles will hear you!"  
  
"I- I- I don't wan' to par' wit' 'im!" moaned Hagrid, but he went over gently, and kissed Harry, and let Dumbledore take him.  
  
McGonagall and Hagrid both watched tearfully as Albus gently set the baby onto the doorstep of #4 Privet Drive and set a small envelope beside him.  
  
Then, with a sharp crack, the two wizards disappeared, while Hagrid stayed behind only to get onto the motorcycle and drive off.  
  
~*~Chapter 3~*~ VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!  
  
Vernon dreamed of pleasant nothings, as did Petunia, when suddenly he woke up from the strange sound- almost like a car, but much louder. Jerking up, he turned on the light as Petunia got out of bed.  
  
"What was that?!??" she exclaimed.  
  
Vernon hushed her, and they both listened carefully. In ten minutes, when they still hadn't heard anything, they decided that it must have been there imagination, and were about to go to bed, when they heard a large POP and later, another VROOM.  
  
This time, Vernon and Petunia jumped up, slipped shoes onto their bare feet, and pulled on coats, as they ran downstairs. Turning on the light in the kitchen, they searched through the house, but saw nothing.  
  
Therefore, neither of them noticed a dark figure running through their lawn and grabbing the envelope lying beside the baby on their front step, and neither of them noticed the figure running off into the shadows.  
  
Young Harry, however, did notice the abnormal occurrence, and realized that his mother was nowhere near, and started crying.  
  
Although Vernon and Petunia hadn't noticed the dark figure, they both heard the child's wailing, and thought that it was Dudley.  
  
"Darling-" Vernon requested. "Could you-"  
  
Petunia understood, and went upstairs, while Vernon took another round through the bottom floor.  
  
Harry outside was getting frantic, and started screaming and flailing. Completely by accident, one of his tiny fists hit the door, and this tiny knock alerted Vernon, who rushed out to the porch.  
  
He stood gasping in surprise for almost a minute, until he finally found his voice and croaked, "'Tunia! Come here!"  
  
In this story, Harry is just a few months old, and Dudley just turned 1. That simple.  
  
I hope you like this... I personally am not sure that I do, so if I don't receive any reviews telling me to continue, I very simply WON'T.  
  
This is NOT a threat. I just don't really think this is any good, and I don't know if I want to continue. But if enough of you out there want me to, I will. That simple. So PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	2. Harry: the Boy Who Birthdayed

First, before I start, I'd like to thank Valandil Fefalas (cool name!), Star-of-Pearl ( I like your name, too!), and JadeHawk (now that name IS cool!).  
  
Just for you guys, I decided to update.  
  
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{abc} - a memory  
  
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~*~Chapter 4~*~  
  
Three years passed. McGonagall, sitting in her office in Hogwarts, realized with a start that today was Harry's 3rd birthday- exactly 1 and a half years since he had been taken to the Dursleys. She sighed thoughtfully, recalling the strange conversation she had had with Dumbledore the night after they had dropped Harry off.....  
  
{Minerva smiled happily.  
  
{"Albus, I must admit that I wasn't really sure that you were right to drop Harry of at some obscure relatives of his, but now I'm satisfied.. He'll be well taken care of, and I know that he'll be well brought up, as well."  
  
{Albus looked at her gravely, without the usual twinkle in his eyes.  
  
{"Yes, Minerva," he said gravely. "I was pretty sure that I was right. But now.. Well, I'm not so sure anymore! Did I do the wrong thing?"  
  
{Minerva stared at him in shock.  
  
{"Wrong thing? What are you talking about, Albus?"  
  
{But he just shook his head, and then dismissed the matter.}  
  
Minerva looked around her office once more, but she had to admit that the conversation still baffled her as much as it had when it had first been spoken. No matter which way she thought of it, it just didn't make sense.  
  
~*~Chapter 5~*~  
  
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!" The Dursleys sang- or, rather, the three older Dursleys sang.  
  
Harry, meanwhile, sat bashfully in front of the gigantic chocolate cake. His untidy yet glossy jet-black hair covered his forehead, and flopped gracefully around his ears as he moved, and his vivid green eyes had an adorable look- the look one gives when they're loved.  
  
"Come on, Harry!" His mommie Petunia encouraged. "Blow the candles out like a big boy!"  
  
Harry beamed, and puffed at the large creations standing in the chocolate frosting. His little puffs did nothing, but his daddy encouraged him, and then, when Harry wasn't looking, blew at the candles. Harry, who thought that HE had blown them out, flashed a brilliant smile at everyone, and leaned over to scrape a little frosting off with his finger.  
  
"No, darling," his mommie admonished. "Let's wait until daddy gets the knife so that we can cut the cake, OK?"  
  
Harry leaned back a little on his chair, disappointed, when suddenly the candles flared up again. He shrieked in joy and clapped his hands. "Lookie, daddy! De candews aw MAGIK!!" Petunia smiled at him. "Yes, darling, they ARE magic!" she exclaimed cheerfully, giving a small wink to Vernon. It had taken him many hours in the supermarket to find those 'magic' candles, but it was worth it, just to look at Harry being so happy.  
  
A cute little pudgy 4-year-old knelt on the chair next to Harry.  
  
"Mum!" he said. "I wanna have some cake, too, mummie! Don't fowget me when you cut all the swices, 'K?"  
  
Vernon smiled proudly at his two beautiful sons, sitting side by side. Although Harry didn't really look like any of his 'parents', Duds definitely went after Vernon. But neither he nor Petunia really cared whether Harry was really 'their' son or not- even if not by blood, he was their son by love. And all that mattered at the moment was keeping both of their sons as happy and healthy as possible. 


	3. Harry: The Boy Who Argued

Thanks to all who reviewed- I appreciate it!  
  
Neevs- thanks! I'm glad you like it!  
  
Ariana Dumbledore: Well, thanks for leaving a review to tell me- I'll try to clarify a bit here.  
  
First- about the Dursleys. The Dursleys do NOT know that Harry is their nephew. According to them, he's just some random kid left on the doorstep. They DID investigate, but couldn't find his parents, so decided to adopt them as their own kid and a brother to Dudley.  
  
Second- about his name. They DON'T know his name is Harry. When he came to them, he was nameless, so they named him after the young son of Petunia's sister, who had been reported "missing" when James and Lilly Potter had died so suddenly.  
  
Third- about him doing accidental magic. If you remember, in the book, Harry only does magic when he's threatened by something or in danger. In this fic, he's growing up in a kind, safe environment, so he will never have to use his 'accidental' magic.  
  
Finally, about the letters- read this chappie and find out!! ^_^  
  
Now, on to the chapter!!  
  
~*~Chapter 6~*~  
  
Exactly nine years and one day later, Harry received a letter. It was rather unexpected, and neither Dudley nor his father or mother nor he could figure it out. So it was thrown away, and the family relaxed- until the next one came.  
  
That morning, Dudley and Harry were both sleeping- the former in the top bunk, and the latter in the bottom. A shrill ringing woke them both up, however, and the two boys climbed out of bed, rubbing their eyes, and turning off the alarm clock.  
  
"G'morning, Duds," yawned Harry. "Didn't we agree to get up EARLY on Monday mornings so we could make our lunches?"  
  
Dudley looked at the clock and smiled. "Aww, c'mon Harry, it's 7! How early is early, in /your/ opinion?"  
  
Harry fake-punched Dudley, and the two of them, talking animatedly about 'earliness', walked downstairs, into the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning, loves!" their mother greeted them cheerfully. "Hurry up and eat your breakfasts- they're getting cold. Do you want anything special, or just cereal? I do have some toast, if you want! And Duds- don't forget your math book! And Harry- remember your spelling sheet!"  
  
Dudley groaned in mock-annoyance. "Really, mums!" he exclaimed. "You did notice that you said that exact same thing yesterday?"  
  
"And the day before!" Harry added with a grin.  
  
"And the day before that!"  
  
"And before that!"  
  
"And before that times infinite!"  
  
Harry smiled. "Fine! You win! I give up!" He threw his hands up in the air.  
  
"Ha!" Dudley laughed. "You should know better than to even try by now, Harry! I ALWAYS win!"  
  
"Right. And what about this morning?" Harry taunted.  
  
"Well, except for—"  
  
"And last night? And the night before? And the morning before that!?"  
  
"Aww.... Come on, Harry!!" Dudley pleaded jokingly.  
  
Harry just looked at him sternly.  
  
"Oh- fine! I ALMOST always win." Dudley whined.  
  
Harry just looked at him.  
  
"FINE!!! Have it your own way! This is the first time I've won in a year and a half!"  
  
"That's right, Duds!" Harry chuckled. "Much better."  
  
The two boys glared at each other for a minute, until their mother came into the room.  
  
"Dudley! Harry!! Eat your cereal NOW!!"  
  
The boys sighed, sat down at the table, and started chewing, while Petunia went upstairs to wake up their father.  
  
Ten minutes later, the boys finally glanced at the clock, and a resounding shriek pierced the calm.  
  
Petunia ran downstairs. "WHAT?? What happened?? Is everyone alright???"  
  
The boys yelled out simultaneously, "We've MISSED the BUS!!!"  
  
Their mother smiled, relieved. "Oh! Is that all. I was worrying about broken legs and snakes around here!"  
  
"But mum!!—"  
  
"Don't worry, darlings! We have no school today! The secretary just called and said that there's no school due to snow! All public and private schools have a day off!"  
  
Harry and Dudley looked at each other in shock. "SNOW!?!?!???!!?"  
  
The two of them ran to the window, peered out, and started cheering.  
  
~*~Chapter 7~*~  
  
After dressing, both Dudley and Harry ran outside. There wasn't much more than a foot of snow on the ground, but what snow it was! Just the perfect texture, hardness, flakiness—it was perfect!!  
  
"Snowball fight!" Declared Dudley.  
  
Harry nodded, and the two of them went to opposite sides of the lawn.  
  
"One, two, three, four, I declare a snow WAR!!"  
  
And so it started.  
  
Harry seized a clump of snow from the ground, and hurled it at Dudley. Dudley managed to intercept it, and hurled it back at Harry, hitting him straight in the face, causing an unhappy shriek from Harry.  
  
Just then, he noticed a large clump of white on the car. Grinning evilly, Harry ducked and ran to the car, and grabbed the white clump.  
  
Suddenly, he shrieked. The white clump was ALIVE- warm, and soft, and FEATHERY!!  
  
With a shriek of terror, Harry dropped the white thing, and it spread it's wings and flew up, landing on the roof.  
  
This time, both Harry and Dudley screeched, and the two of them, clutching each other, ran into the house, slamming the door behind them. 


	4. Harry: the Boy Who Yelled

WOW!! *looks around at reviewers with surprise* I know I asked for reviews.. but thank you so much! I really appreciate it!  
  
JadeHawk: I did my best! And thanks for reviewing!  
  
The Shadow Bandit: I'm glad you like it! I'll try to make chapters longer, from now on.. and thanks for reviewing!  
  
Drusilla: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! And as for the question you asked.. I'm sorry, as much as I want to answer that I can't! I don't want to give the plot away! ^_^  
  
AnimegirlH: Thank you so much! *beams happily*  
  
Actually, I've had a slight difficulty with that part of the story line. But I've resolved it like this:  
  
Petunia wasn't really sure what she believed. When it had all happened, Petunia was ten, and had thought that it was all a joke that Lilly had made up, and her parents were just playing along. In her mind, she DID feel that there was something to it, but she was a rather jealous little kid so didn't really think much about it. In fact, Petunia had forgotten about what Lilly said the school was named, until this chapter!  
  
So.. read and find out!  
  
~*~Chapter 8~*~  
  
{With a shriek of terror, Harry dropped the white thing, and it spread its wings and flew {up, landing on the roof.  
  
{This time, both Harry and Dudley screeched, and the two of them, clutching each other, {ran into the house, slamming the door behind them.  
  
They were met inside by a frantic Petunia.  
  
"What happened??" she exclaimed in fright. "Did one of you get hurt??  
  
Harry and Dudley looked at each other, and then, after almost ten seconds, Harry gasped out,  
  
"T-the-there was a-a LIVE th-thing in the snow!!!"  
  
Their mother looked at them, worried. "A live thing? Do you want me to go and check it out, boys?"  
  
Her sons nodded simultaneously, so Petunia, armed with a broom, went to look outside. She searched for almost a minute, the boys watching her from the doorway nervously, and then started turning back.  
  
"Boys! There's nothing there as far as I can see.. maybe it already ran away? How about we go inside and I make you nice warm mugs of hot choc--- AAAAAAAAH!!"  
  
The scream was not what Petunia was going to make a mug of, but a sound of surprise. For at that minute, a large white bird flew over and landed on the roof of the family car.  
  
Dudley and Harry yelped, too, as soon as they saw it, but Petunia, as soon as she regained her composure, went to soothe the boys.  
  
"Come, darlings, it's just a... a.... an OWL???"  
  
Harry looked at the bird in surprise. "Mum?? But don't owls hibernate in the winter??"  
  
"And aren't they NIGHT animals??" added Duds.  
  
"Yes, they are.." Petunia shook her head thoughtfully. "Dunno.. maybe some species of owls aren't night and don't hibernate in the winter!"  
  
Just then, Harry remember his Biology lesson from Friday.  
  
"M- mummy?? What if the owl has RABIDS??"  
  
"Rabies," corrected Petunia automatically. "Oh, dear! I'm going to go call the animal control center immediately, and you boys stay inside!! And don't let IT come close to you- it might be contagious!"  
  
Dudley, at the word 'contagious', fled back into the house, his younger brother at his heels.  
  
Meanwhile, Petunia ran into the house behind them, went into the kitchen, and dialed 9-1-1.  
  
"Hello?" a gruff voice asked her.  
  
"Yes, hello," Petunia said franticly. "This is #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging. There's a rabid owl in the front yard! This is an emergency!"  
  
"Alright, ma'am, don't worry. I'll send over a few squad cars. Have you reached the Animal Control Center yet?"  
  
"Noo.. was I supposed to? I'll go do that right now! But- please hurry! I don't want anything to happen to my boys!!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, the cars are on their way. Don't worry. Everything is under control."  
  
"Thank you," Petunia said, and hung up the phone. Something was about to happen. She felt it in her very bones. And.. the boys!! Why did she suddenly have the feeling that they were doing something dangerous??  
  
While their mother went into the house, Harry and Dudley overcame their fear, and decided to go and look at the furry owl outside. The 'looking', however, soon became a lively game of Truth Or Dare.  
  
"Well, Duds? Truth or Dare??" Harry asked cheerfully.  
  
Dudley wrinkled his nose and thought. "Dare!"  
  
"Hmm.. let's give you a hard one. How about.... Go and walk to the owl, stop three feet before it, and then walk backwards away from it!"  
  
Dudley paled considerably. "Heh.... Um.. mums won't be happy.."  
  
"COWARD!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Fine! Fine! I'm not a coward! I'll do it!"  
  
And Dudley carefully followed Harry's instructions. As he came within three feet of it, he started walking backwards, and just then.....  
  
Dudley's foot slipped, and he fell backwards onto the snow. He lay still, unmoving, for almost a minute, and Harry panicked. Coming up close, he called gently:  
  
"Dudley? Duds? Are you alright?"  
  
There was no sound from Dudley, and Harry leaned in even closer.  
  
The next second, he was lying on the snow, on his back, with Dudley sitting on him.  
  
"HAH!!" Dudley crowed. "/I/ beat the famous Harry Dursley!! HAHA!!"  
  
Harry managed to fake looking injured, even with a face full of snow.  
  
"Dudley??" he exclaimed in mock-horror. "How COULD YOU do such an AWFUL thing?? To your YOUNGER BROTHER, no less!!"  
  
"Well, technically, I wouldn't call it such an awful thing. Considering that I can do worse, you know!"  
  
With those words, he leant over and started tickling Harry in the ribs.  
  
As Harry shouted in laughter, and Dudley bent over tickling him, neither of them noticed that the owl was swooping over closer to them, or that their mother had just arrived, breathless, to their doorstep, so that by the time she shouted in warning, it was too late- The owl had swooped down, and, with its claws, grazed three large scratches in Dudley's shoulder.  
  
~*~End of Chapter 8~*~  
  
Alright! I hope you liked this chapter! I know that it wasn't very long.. I'm sorry. But I HAD to stop here.. to be properly evil, you know!  
  
So, please review....  
  
Oh, and anyone that guesses WHY the owl attacked Dudley gets a chocolate chip cookie! Specially cooked by me! (yes, cooked- they taste better that way!)  
  
*Evil grin*  
  
And for those who aren't going to review, here's YOUR plate of cookies!! *extremely evil grin* Come one, take one- or two! Or three!!! And the green powder on top is..... um.... powdered sugar!! That's right! Powdered sugar!  
  
So.. um.. review! 


	5. Harry: The Boy Who Was Owled

Thanks to all who reviewed! I appreciate it! And I'm sorry for not writing for so long... Third quarter finals. Yuck!  
  
xann-blackstar: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it!  
  
JadeHawk: You're right! Three cheers to you! And thanks for reviewing!  
  
Drusilla: I'm glad you like it! I did my best about the updating, although I know I took a while....  
  
Kewii: Thank you for the advice.. About the notes thing, I'll try not to have that happen again.. Truthfully, though, when I started writing the story I hadn't thought about the past- just about Harry being LIKED by the Dursleys. But I'll try to include them in the story from now on.... And I don't agree with your second point. The Dudleys are TOTALLY different in this fic. Thanks for reviewing, either way!  
  
~*~Chapter 9~*~  
  
(three hours later)  
  
Dudley turned over on the hospital bed and groaned. Although the claw marks hadn't been too wide, they had been quite deep, and had had to be sewed up. Dudley hadn't been happy about that, and now was even unhappier, considering that his entire back felt as if it was aflame, and he could only lie on his stomach.  
  
At his first moan, Petunia rushed over to his bedside. "Duds? Honey, are you all right?"  
  
"Not bad at all, except for the fact that my back is on fire!" Dudley whined somewhat playfully, and Petunia smiled. "I can see that your injuries haven't taken away your sense of humor, boys!" She turned to Harry and patted him on the shoulder. "Harry? Don't worry about it, dear. It wasn't really your fault... rather, both of you were at fault. You should know better than that! One of you-"  
  
'Might have gotten hurt!' Dudley and Harry mumbled simultaneously.  
  
"Yes, boys, that's right," Petunia was somewhat exasperated. "I know you've both heard this before, so I don't see why I should say it again. Besides, you'll both get a lecture from your father soon enough!"  
  
The boys groaned, this time wholeheartedly. "NO, mum, please!" they begged.  
  
"No such luck!" their mother smirked. "That'll be your punishment for misbehaving! I DID warn you not to go outside, you know!"  
  
Just then, their father, looking stern, entered the room.  
  
"How many times will I have to tell you to THINK before you JUMP??"  
  
'Every single time I tell you, and I have the feeling you don't listen at all!' The boys continued under their voices as Vernon said it.  
  
'And look at you now! Something happened, and whose fault was it?' The three of them recited, although their father didn't notice.  
  
"Well, boys, whose fault was it? Mine? No. Your mother's? No."  
  
'The neighbor's cat? No.' Dudley added under his breath, and the boys snorted with laughter.  
  
Vernon overheard them that time. "VE-ERY good, Dudley! It WASN'T the neighbor's cat!"  
  
Petunia looked at the three of them, facing each other defiantly, and giggled. "You three are so funny, did you know that?" She asked. "Vern, you DO realize that the boys know your little speech better than you?"  
  
Vernon looked at his sons, startled. "Err... yes, I did know that?"  
  
Harry clutched his stomach and keeled over, laughing, tears pouring out of his eyes, as did Dudley, if a little slowly because of his sore back.  
  
Petunia looked at her boys, slumped on the floor and shaking, and at her husband, standing and looking somewhat confused, and shook her head in amusement.  
  
"All's right with the world," she quipped.  
  
~*~Chapter 10~*~  
  
The next day, Dudley was discharged from the hospital  
  
("More like excremented," Harry jibed)  
  
and the family went back to their cozy little house. Vernon drove the car, Petunia sat next to him, and the boys wrestled in the back seat. There was a feeling of warm coziness in the car, and the boys were grinning in anticipation of seeing their house again. (a day and a half away from it seemed like a long time!) After a twenty minute drive, they reached their house, and parked in the garage, the boys running out of the car as soon as the motor was turned off.  
  
There were still some patches of snow lying on the ground, but there was some large patch of feathery snow on the porch. Wait- feathery??  
  
"MUM!!" Dudley exclaimed. "Is that an OWL??" Their mother ran out of the car, leaving the door open, and approached the porch.  
  
She gasped. "Yes, Duddy, it's an owl, Harry, get further away from it, get Daddy!"  
  
Vernon heard the last part and came out of the car, locking it.  
  
"Yes, 'Tunia? You called?"  
  
His wife pointed to the feathery clump of white on the front porch, and Vernon gasped in surprise. "Is that an..... owl?"  
  
Just then, the owl (for it was an owl) spread its wings and flew up, to them, and dropped something white on Harry's head.  
  
"EEW!!" Harry shrieked. "Mum, it's POOPED on me!"  
  
But his father bent over to the snow to look at the white object. "No, Harry," he said. "It's not poop. It's a.... letter."  
  
*sob* Nobody's reviewing! Nobody likes my work! No.. but seriously, all of you out there, how do you expect me to update if you don't provide feedback? The more review, the faster I'll update! SO PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


	6. Harry: the Boy Who was Threatened

*sniff* I was almost tempted to just not publish this chapter, since nobody wanted to review... but two people DID.  
  
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!  
  
Therefore, this chapter is dedicated to JadeHawk and Drusilla:  
  
~*~Chapter 11~*~  
  
Vernon turned over the letter slowly, and gasped.  
  
"Harry!? It's addressed to you!"  
  
Petunia and Dudley leaned in closer, peering over Vernon's shoulder, as he passed the letter to Harry.  
  
Harry looked somewhat shocked. "A letter!? Who would send me a letter? By OWL!?!?"  
  
He looked over the label.  
  
'Harry Dursley #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'  
  
Then, he carefully turned the letter over, and opened it. Inside was a sheet of folded paper.. but the paper was somewhat strange, quite thick, and almost beige. More like... parchment then paper, actually!  
  
Shrugging, Harry pulled the letter out, and started reading aloud.  
  
'Dear Harry, You are in great danger. Please be careful. After reading this, please burn it (or use any other way to destroy it fully). Now, read carefully.  
  
'In about an hour, a man will come to your house. He will say that he is from a school called Hogwarts, and that you are a wizard. Listen to what he says, Harry, but on NO account let him touch you. This is IMPORTANT.  
  
'Perhaps you have already gotten a letter from him, or from Hogwarts, or from some teacher in Hogwarts. If you haven't received it yet, you will some time later today, since it is sent out to all magical people at age 11. Yes, I know that it will be your birthday in three days.  
  
'I will come to your house as soon as possible, and help you. If the man named Albus Dumbledore comes before I do, delay him, ask questions, offer him tea, but on NO account let him touch you, don't stay alone in a room with him, or, better yet, make sure your 'parents' keep the door WELL closed and locked.  
  
'Please listen to me, Harry, and you, too, the rest of you Dursleys, because this could make a difference between Harry living or dying.  
  
'I beg you to follow my letter, at least until I can come.  
  
'Sincerely,  
  
'Thomas Riddle'  
  
(AN: Now I'm going to be evil and leave the chapter hanging here. Mwahaha!! Just joking.. even I'm not that evil!)  
  
The Dursleys looked at Harry and at each other, and then glanced back at the letter.  
  
Aunt Petunia especially looked pale. "You don't actually believe this, do you, Vernon?"  
  
The boys' father looked grave. "I don't know what to think. I don't know!"  
  
Dudley tugged at his sleeve. "Daddy? There aren't any real bad guys, are there?"  
  
He was ignored. Vernon, instead, turned to Harry. "Harry, love," he said. "I don't know what to think, and it's probably just a prank call, but just in case... We'll all stay at home today, and keep strangers out. Everyone, including this 'Riddle' fellow. I'm not risking anything happening to my family, and if we all have to be stuck in this house to be safe, well, then, we'll be stuck in the house. Petunia- would you take the boys inside? I'd like to take another look at things around here..."  
  
But even as he spoke, another owl- this time a black one- soared down from the sky and deposited a thicker letter in front of Harry's feet, and then flew to the house roof and sat there.  
  
Vernon, looking frantically around him, instantly grabbed the letter in one hand, his sons in the other, and pushing his wife in front of him, ran into the house, and slammed and locked the door.  
  
~*~Chapter 12~*~  
  
In the relative quiet of their home, Vernon Dursley carefully examined the letter. It was sealed with a blood-red smear of wax, in the shape of a lion, snake, badger, and eagle all curling around the large letter 'H'.  
  
On the other side, the letter was addressed to 'Mr. Harry Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'. The return address said:  
  
'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'.  
  
All of the Dursleys, including Harry, stiffened, and Petunia quickly took the envelope, opened it, and pulled out a sheet of the same parchment-like paper.  
  
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
  
"Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
  
"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Dear Mr. H. Dursley,  
  
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary school books and equipment.  
  
"Term begins on the 1st of September. We await your reply no later than the 31st of June.  
  
"Yours sincerely, "Minerva McGonagall"  
  
As Petunia finished reading, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. A very loud knock.  
  
Dudley jumped, and fainted from fear, on the door.  
  
"So now I know what they mean by 'nightmares come true'," Harry muttered, panicking, to himself, and became as white as a sheet.  
  
AN: Not expecting all this, were you now? PLEASE, review!!!  
  
I WON'T UPDATE UNTIL I GET TEN NEW REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Harry: the Boy Who was Visited

Well, 5 reviews! Not quite ten, but I decided to be merciful... Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really, really, really, really appreciate it!!!  
  
This chapter is dedicated to:  
  
Drusilla, jadehawk, baby chaos, and hpcrazy.  
  
Drusilla: Sorry you're confused.. hopefully this chapter will help.  
  
Jadehawk: Thank you!  
  
Baby chaos: I'm glad you like it!  
  
Hpcrazy: Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you like it!  
  
~*~Chapter 13~*~  
  
As the Dursleys stared at each other frantically, the knock was repeated. Louder.  
  
Vernon was frantic. "Petunia," he whispered hoarsely. "Grab the boys and run upstairs! Call the police! If whoever it is tries to come in, I'll stall for time. Go!"  
  
Petunia grabbed Dudley by one hand, Harry by the other, and pulled them upstairs into her bedroom. She locked the door, and grabbed the phone from the bedside cabinet, putting it to her ear. But instead of the welcome buzz, instead she heard a low, raspy voice saying, "Don't even think of trying."  
  
Petunia shrieked, and slammed the phone down into the receiver, and fainted.  
  
Harry and Dudley stared at each other in shock, their white faces rimmed with horror and fear.  
  
"What.. what happened?" Dudley croaked.  
  
Harry answered in a whisper. "I have NO idea. What's going on?"  
  
Dudley shook his head. "I dunno.... Why did mum faint? And..."  
  
"Daddy told her to call the police!" Harry moaned.  
  
They looked at each other, and made up their minds. Harry carefully approached the phone, lifted it up, and put it to his ear.  
  
Then he shrieked in fear, and dropped it onto the floor, and turned to Dudley.  
  
"DUDS!" he squeaked. "There- there was a man on the ph-ph-phone and he said- " Harry's teeth were chattering so hard he could barely speak. "He said- that- that- he said that he knows were I am- and he-he's going to c-c-come and g-get me!"  
  
Both Harry and Dudley shuddered. "Should- should I pick up the phone?" Dudley asked bravely. "Someone needs to c-call the police...."  
  
Harry shook his head. "N-no..." he muttered. "I'm scared!"  
  
"What should we do then??"  
  
"I d-d-on't know..."  
  
Dudley thought as well as he could. "Let's go down to D-daddy... maybe he'll know what to d-do?"  
  
The boys held hands tightly, and went down the stairs, slowly. Just as they reached the bottom floor, the house shook and the door flew open with a loud bang.  
  
Standing in the doorway was an old man, seemingly radiating power. His long white beard reached down to his waist, and he had a stern nose. He was wearing long pale-gray robes and a tall hat. But that wasn't what shook Harry. It was the man's eyes- for they were slits, snakelike, and a deep blood-red.  
  
"Good evening!" proclaimed the man in a loud, somewhat too-cheery voice. "Good to see you, Dursley! Where's your lovely wife?"  
  
Vernon stared at the man, also noting the strange eyes. "What- what are you talking about?!!??" he almost yelled. "I DON'T KNOW YOU! What are you doing here?!? Get out of my house!!!"  
  
The man smiled almost cruelly, and took out a smooth, somewhat pointy stick. He waved it at Vernon, muttering a few words, and then said smoothly, "Why, Vernon? Don't you remember me? I'm your best friend!"  
  
Instead of denying it, as the boys expected, Vernon just shook his head blearily, as if he had just woken up, and said slowly, "I remember you. You're my best friend."  
  
The man smiled wider. "That's right! I've just come for a short friendly visit, and I'll be leaving soon!"  
  
"You just came for a short friendly visit and you'll be leaving soon," repeated Vernon monotonously.  
  
The boys stared at each other in horror. What was going on!?!?  
  
"And I came to have a talk with Harry- you'll lead me to a nice quiet room and leave me alone in peace with him."  
  
"I'll lead you to a nice quiet room and leave you alone in peace there." Vernon turned around and started walking to the guest room.  
  
Dudley, terrified, cried, "But DAD!! NO!! Remember the letter!?!? WHAT'S WRONG!?!?"  
  
The man glared at Dudley, with pure hatred in his eyes. He waved his stick at Vernon once again, muttering something like 'perio' and said, "Stop bothering your father, BOY! You're annoying him!"  
  
Vernon turned around, like a machine, and walked toward Dudley. "Stop annoying me, boy! Get out of my way!" He struck Dudley across the face.  
  
Both Dudley and Harry started crying. "NO! DADDY!! PLEASE!! Don't listen to that man!! CALL THE POLICE!!"  
  
This time, the stick was pointed to them, and both suddenly realized that they trusted the man- that kind, funny old man that had come through the door. In fact, they loved him! With this realization, they both realized that that fat, bumbling, red-faced person who had just struck Dudley was their enemy. They hated him, and he was dangerous.  
  
As soon as they understood these things, the fat red-faced man- the one with eyes that seemed glazed-over, for some reason, rushed over, and started to punch them. Hard. In a few seconds, both Harry and Dudley started crying, but luckily for them, the kind man rushed to their help, and knocked the scary man aside, so that the scary man stopped moving.  
  
Harry started crying even harder. "Why did daddy attack us?? I HATE him! He's mean! *sniff* It's not fair! Why do I have to live with him!??!"  
  
Dudley joined him. "I hate my daddy!! I wanna go live with you.. please!"  
  
The man looked at Harry with affection, and smiled at him reassuringly, but he glared angrily at Dudley.  
  
"Kill the spare," he muttered quietly to himself, and waved his stick again, this time at Dudley alone. Suddenly, Harry was attacked once again, but by his own brother.  
  
Harry screamed. "NO!! DUDS!! NO!!"  
  
Dudley didn't hear him. In fact, it seemed as if Dudley didn't hear, see, or feel anything, so intent was he on attacking Harry.  
  
But once again, Harry was 'saved'- the man pulled Dudley off of him, and swung his stick, yelling something like 'abracadabra!'. A bright green light erupted from it, and hit Dudley in the middle of the back. Dudley keeled over, and lay there, unmoving.  
  
The sight of his brother, lying on the ground, seemed to bring Harry back to his senses.  
  
He crawled over to the two bodies on the floor, tears still blurring his vision, his whole body aflame from his family's attacks. Touching his father's cheek, Harry realized that no person should be that cold. Or that stiff. Why wouldn't his father answer him???  
  
Turning to Dudley, he saw the same thing- Dudley was still warm but cooling rapidly. He wouldn't answer either, and nothing happened when Harry shook him.  
  
Harry, ten years old, realized that his father and brother were dead. Killed by that- that-man, who had burst into his house. That- man- who had turned his own family against him. That- man- that had tried- and succeeded- to ruin his life.  
  
He overcame his weariness with almost superhuman strength, and stood up, shaking with rage. And when he turned around to face the stranger, the man almost jumped with surprise- Harry's normally gently green eyes were now a startling emerald, so furious and full of rage that even the man himself- who was the very essence of evil- didn't dare to face those eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: REVIEW! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!!  
  
If I don't get at least 6 reviews, no new chappie!!!  
  
SIX REVIEWS!! 


	8. Harry: the Boy Who Dreamed

Chapter 14:

_abc_ are memories.

* * *

He overcame his weariness with almost superhuman strength, and stood up, shaking with rage. And when he turned around to face the stranger, the man almost jumped with surprise- Harry's normally gently green eyes were now a startling emerald, so furious and full of rage that even the man himself- who was the very essence of evil- didn't dare to face those eyes. 

The murderer took a step back, almost unconsciously. His firm stance seemed to waver as he beheld the young boy, short, small, frail - yet powerful. His newly-found strength seemed to seep from every part of him, filling the room with anger and grief. The stranger found himself staggering as the grief continued to escape every pore of the lad's body, clouding his mind. The grief of a small child who knows that he will never see those closest to him again.

Harry found himself upright, trembling with the pain that threatened to overcome him. His eyes clouded and filmed over as he stared unfocusing at the bodies of his relatives lying on the floor, but then took the stranger by surprise as they suddenly swept upwards and seemed to drill straight into the soul. Harry just looked at the stranger, examined him, and then hunched over again.

"Leave. Just leave. Please go away." A young child's plea, whispered, came from his lips.

When Harry looked up again, tears in his eyes, he found the room empty. Nobody remained but the cold, slowly stiffening bodies of his family. He began to sob as he remembered all of the times he had spent with his family.

* * *

_A little boy, perhaps three or four years old, crouches under a table. His green eyes sparkle, and he smirks at the boy crouching next to him, who is about a year his senior. They hear their mother walking around the grass, searching for them, calling their names, and grin mischievously at each other._

_Another image of the two boys. This time the younger one is four, and the older five. They and their parents are having a picnic on the terrace, and the older boy reaches across the table with a napkin to wipe a smudge from the corner of his little brother's mouth in a sweet show of childish affection._

_The boy is seven now. He has just gotten his first report card from school and beams proudly as his mother holds up a card smudged with 'A's. He hugs his older brother, who is standing nearby holding up a similar card. Their father, brimming with pride, is standing in the background._

_Once again, the two boys. They are camping in the woods, sitting and toasting marshmallows. It was here where they first discovered 'truth or dare', and took turns daring the other to eat burned marshmallows. Impish grins adorn both the faces, and the fire reflects off the younger brother's silky black hair._

_This time, the boy appears with one of his friends. They frolic together on a couch, their hair in wild disarray, their faces smiling, excited._

_The boy is nine. He has lost none of the childish innocence he had a child, and has grown little. He is less frail now, however, and is busily engaged in a time-consuming game of "Snakes and Ladders" with his older brother, Dudley. They are debating whether the spinner landed on the number 5 or 6, their voices rising and cheeks flushing as the argument gets more heated. In the background, their parents are clutching their heads in mock pain, shaking their heads in amusement. The father mouths "Boys will be boys" and the mother agrees, nodding. Back in the foreground, the boys have decided that debating is pointless and hug each other._

_The boy is eleven. His mother has just declared that school has been canceled due to a snow storm, and the boy and his brother are overjoyed. After dressing, both run outside. There wasn't much more than a foot of snow on the ground, but what snow it was! Just the perfect texture, hardness, flakiness—it was perfect!_

_"Snowball fight!" Dudley declared._

_Harry nodded, and the two of them went to opposite sides of the lawn._

_"One, two, three, four, I declare a snow WAR!"_

_And so it started._

_Harry seized a clump of snow from the ground, and hurled it at Dudley. Dudley managed to intercept it, and hurled it back at Harry, hitting him straight in the face, causing an unhappy shriek from Harry._

_Just then, he noticed a large clump of white on the car. Grinning evilly, Harry ducked and ran to the car, and grabbed the white clump._

_Suddenly, he shrieked. The white clump was ALIVE- warm, and soft, and FEATHERY!_

* * *

Harry shook his head. No, this wasn't the way things should have turned out. If it hadn't been for that owl... his pain threatened to engulf him, and he sniffled twice, miserably. He tried to think of something else to distract him, and began changing history in his mind.

* * *

_Just then, he noticed a large clump of white on the car. Grinning evilly, Harry ducked and ran to the car, and grabbed the white clump. Suddenly, he - no, Dudley - shrieked._

_"No, Harry! Please don't throw it at me!" he yelled in mock fear._

_Harry's grin broadened as he lifted the heavy, compact snow chunk and prepared to hurl it at his brother. "Ready or not, here I come!" he yelled, and threw the snow with all his might at Dudley._

_Dudley spluttered and spent almost half a minute clearing snow from his face, while Harry chuckled and prepared a new arsenal of snow balls. He even started building a snow fort, when suddenly a huge amount of frozen cold ice slipped down his back._

_"OW ow ow owowow!" Harry jumped up and down, trying to dislodge the icicle that seemed to be biting him with cold, while Dudley roared with laughter._

_"Hahaha! Serves you right!" he grinned._

_At that point, as Harry prepared his 'super-Harry-throwing-snow-ball-attempt' at Dudley, their father walked by dressed in a nice suit. "I'm off to work!" he called cheerfully to his sons. "Enjoy the snow while it-" he broke off because a large snowball thrown by Harry had just narrowly missed his nose. "Boys! Be careful, you could have hurt somebody!"_

_He had to duck again in a few seconds when a snowball thrown by Dudley almost swept his hat off his head, and then again a few seconds later. The boys ganged up together, piled their snowballs on top of each other and began pelting their poor father._

_Vernon spent maybe a few seconds deciding what to do, and then made up his mind. He ran inside, left his laptop by the door, and joined the cheering boys._

_"Get dad! Get dad!" Dudley yelled to Harry, who responded by hurling a snowball at his brother's face and yelling back "Go get yourself!" In a few seconds, though, they decided on a free-for-all which resulted in everyone losing (or winning) every game._

_At noon, Petunia came out with a large steaming pot of cocoa and cups to go around. She poured sweet hot chocolate for everyone, and handed out home-made ginger-snaps. The entire family sat outside in the snow, bundled up, sipping the sweet liquid and crunching on the tangy cookies. The boys' cheeks were flushed with cold and excitement, and both felt as if it had been the best day of their life._

* * *

Suddenly, someone tapped Harry on the shoulder. Harry jumped, barely noticing that all his tears had dried up and that he had been so caught up in his fantasy world, he had forgotten about everything about him. A tear began to course down his cheek. Reality was just too much for him, he couldn't deal with it, he had to get away... he tried to engross himself in his new fantasy but was jolted away again by another tap on his shoulder. 

Harry looked up dully. Who was it this time? Some other stranger with a stick who would now finish off the Dursley family by killing him? To his surprise, he found that he really didn't care. What difference did it make /now, of all times? If he died, it would all be as if nothing had happened, as if he and the Dursleys had never existed. Death would be much easier then continuing existence without his family...

* * *

Everyone, thanks so much for bearing with me! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long... It's just that I asked for 6 reviews, but didn't get them for over three months, so I just felt depressed and didn't write. Later, I DID get reviews, but had given up on checking my email.. well, in other words, I found the reviews yesterday and was writing all of yesterday and today. So, here's the new chapter! I know better now, so I won't try to create an expectations at all. 

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and, if you have time, I'd appreciate any suggestions/comments/questions.


	9. Harry: the Boy Who Awoke

And now... for the most evil - and strange - plot twist ever! Please don't kill me! And don't say I didn't warn you!

This chapter is dedicated to XjdsX, for the kindest and most encouraging review yet. Welcome to the fanfic community, XjdsX!

* * *

Chapter 14

Albus Dumbledore looked, almost afraid, at the stiff, sitting body of Harry Potter. His uncle, aunt, and cousin were lying nearby, sleeping? No. No person slept that stiffly. No person lay in a position like that. No... living person.

Albus almost jumped. 'Wait. The Dursleys are dead. Yet, Harry is alive.' His brain instantly whirred with thousands of questions to ask. Who had done it. Why. How. What had happened. He took another look at Harry, and felt that perhaps now was not the time.

"Harry?" Albus asked gently, almost timidly. "Harry, are you alright?"

The boy had no reaction - he didn't move. He didn't even twitch, or show any recognition or any sign of having heard anything. Albus walked around to face him, and was shocked when he saw the young boy's face.

The features that had once been bright with vitality and the promise of life were now dull. The eyes were sunken in his sockets as if he had just been released from ten years in Azkaban, and his eyes were red and swollen from crying. His face was covered with bruises, and it seemed like his nose, and maybe his cheekbone as well, was broken. His eyes were fixed on some non-existent object far away, the pupils were dilated, and he didn't blink when Albus waved a hand in front of him.

Albus continued staring, worried, at Harry, but then clutched his head in pain as a migraine started. He keeled over from the severe, burning pain, and began to cry out as his features twisted and his face morphed to someone with slit, slanted nostrils and glaring red eyes. He straightened. "Ah, here again, Harry! What a pleasure to meet again so soon!"

Harry raised his head slowly, and as soon as he focused on the evil being in front of him, he jumped. "You - you left." he muttered lifelessly. "You were gone." his voice rose to an almost-shouting tone. "Why did you kill them? Why?" Tears started pouring down his cheeks. "Mommie! Daddy! Dudley!"

The man had no reaction, other than to smile coldly. "And what makes you think I shouldn't have killed them, Harry? Do you want me to tell you why I did so? Very well."

"The first thing you should know, Harry, is that before you were born, a prophecy was made. It said that you and I will face each other in a final duel at some point, but while one of us lives the other can't survive. At first, I didn't care much about this prophecy because I thought that no simple person could kill me. I soon realized, though, that I am not completely indestructible, and there was one thing you had that could defeat me. Love. You succeeded once, Harry, but now I know better and have figured out how to make myself truly invincible. If I destroy your ability to love, you won't be able to destroy me.

"It took some time for me to understand exactly how to proceed to do that," he continued calmly, in a conversational tone. "Love is not a material object, so it cannot simply be taken away. I soon realized that all I needed to do was to destroy the objects of your affection – your **family**."

For some reason Harry couldn't understand, he accented the word 'family'.

"Well, easier said than done, really. It was a stroke of brilliance on my part. As you – well, you don't know – there are wards surrounding your house, created by a combination of Dumbledore's trickery and your – love." He sounded bitter.

"But I succeeded in the end. I confronted that fool, Dumbledore, and when my wand was at his head and he was about to die, I told him to break the charms or die. He refused my terms – muggle-loving fool that he is – and instead came to an agreement with me. He said that he would create a hole in the wards three times for me to enter, as long as I spared his life and, if I didn't succeed every time, would never kill another human being again. I accepted, hoping for a challenge… The fool, he thought he would be able to prevent me from killing you – or he thought **you** would be able to save your relatives. But he was wrong, on both counts. First round, and I win."

The murderer strode over to him, and, placed a hand upon Harry's shoulder. "You failed, Harry."

* * *

Suddenly, Harry found himself in a dark room, standing, facing the blue-eyed man - Dumbledore - once again. "You failed, Harry. You had three chances - only three - to safe your relatives' lives, and you wasted one. That only leaves two more - two more chances for your relatives to survive. Harry, if you ever want to live a normal life, you need to succeed this time." 

Before Harry could answer, or voice any of his questions, the man waved his wand and the room became darker, darker, and blacker than night... Harry started thrashing as he felt the darkness descend over his head, gently smothering him.

* * *

"Harry? Harry? Get up! Come on, relax!"

Harry heard voices, ghost voices of his dead parents - " Vernon, he isn't - must be another one of - you should -" everything else was drowned out by screams.

Harry shook his head. Why wouldn't the screams stop? He slowly became aware that his throat was burning, and that his head ached, and that he couldn't see.

"Why can't I see? Why is everything so dark?" Harry moaned, trying to turn over but feeling strong hands pressing him down. "Please make me see!"

Soft, soothing hands swept his hair off his face. "Ver, turn the light on a little," a sweet, calm voice said. Harry heard a click above him and to his right, and could suddenly see.

He was lying in his bed. In his room. In his house. On Privet Drive. And standing next to him, looking concerned but also relieved, were his parents. Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

"Mum? Dad? You're - not dead? You're alright?"

And as his now-live parents looked at him, everything that he had dreamed came back to him. His parents.. Dudley... dead. All dead. And what had the old man said? "That only leaves two more - two more chances for your relatives to survive". Harry shuddered, and clutched at his mother, in need of protection, and soon lay asleep again.

* * *

Vernon and Petunia stood over his bed and gazed at each other, concerned. "It's those awful nightmares again." Petunia stated. "I thought he was over them - he hasn't had one since he was six."

Vernon frowned worriedly. "Why would he be having nightmares now? He should be dreaming of cake, and presents, and candy - poor little boy turns eleven tomorrow!"

'Tunia smiled at her husband, and, taking his hand, went downstairs to finish setting up the decorations for the party.

Upstairs, Harry shivered uneasily in his dreams.

* * *

Fine.. I know this wasn't the best chapter ever - or anything like that - but I tried. Please review! And an ENORMOUS thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter...

XjdsX: Thanks so much! Thanks for the advice as well, it's true, but it's still so much more motivating to write when people tell me they like the story.

Elleina: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it; hope you enjoy this chapter as much!

Evelyn: Yes, I'm 15 - I just turned 15, and updated one half of my biography, but not the rest. Thanks for the compliment! And I'm glad you liked the story!

anotherpleb: I'm glad you liked it!


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